Apple and blackberry cake

Apple and blackberry cake is a delicious light and fluffy loaf cake filled with apple and bursts of blackberry. It’s a really easy recipe, making it perfect for kids and beginner bakers alike.

Apple and blackberry cake is an easy but delicious bake, perfect for an afternoon tea. The apple gives it a lovely moistness while the blackberries add zingy bursts of flavour. Best of all it’s really simple to make.

I love this loaf cake partly because it’s such a simple bake, but also because it’s made with mostly store cupboard ingredients so it’s perfect when you want to rustle up something sweet to go with your afternoon tea or as an after school treat.

The apple and blackberries are a also a great flavour combination. The zingy bursts of blackberries go beautifully with the moist apple as well as adding a pretty pop of colour.

Loaf cakes are a great simple alternative to more complicated, decorative layer cakes. There’s no fancy decoration or piping which makes them great for kids to try. But that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious.

How can kids help make an apple and blackberry cake?

This apple and blackberry cake is a lovely, simple bake for kids. It’s really easy to make and with no fancy decoration it’s easy enough for kids and beginner bakers to make.

There are lots of things kids can get involved in making this loaf cake. From measuring and mixing everything together to cracking and adding in the eggs (something every young baker needs to master).

If your kids are old enough, they can also help to grate the apple. Often with apples we peel and core them which can be a bit tricky for young children, but with this recipe they just need to take the whole apple and grate it, which is a good job for a young chef to try.

As with a lot of loaf cakes it’s a really simple, classic bake, so there’s no fancy decorating involved. That means there’s no tricky icing or piping to get to grips with. They can help to spoon or pour the batter into your loaf tin and add some extra blackberries on top.

How do you stop the blackberries from sinking?

Before adding the blackberries to your mixing bowl you should mix them with a spoon of flour. This should stop them sinking to the bottom of your loaf. You can also add a few to the top of the loaf before you bake it.
How long does an apple and blackberry cake keep?

This loaf cake will keep in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. To freeze it, wrap it well in cling film or glad wrap and pop it in a freezer bag. Make sure you defrost it fully before you serve it.

What kind of apple should I use?

You can use any kind of apple you like in this recipe. It’s a great bake for using up a glut of eating apples if you have one. We’ve used a regular eating apple (Gala) we had in our fruit bowl, but you could use any other apple you have in the house like Braeburns or Fuji.

I prefer the sweetness an eating apple brings but if you like it with a little bit more tartness, try using a cooking apple or a Granny Smith.

Should I use fresh or frozen blackberries?

You can use either fresh or frozen blackberries – frozen blackberries a are good option if it’s out of season, they also hold together better when you stir them through the batter. Take them out of the freezer so they can defrost a little before you use them and you may need to adjust the baking time up a little.

This loaf is delicious made with fresh blackberries in the late summer.

What can I use instead of self raising flour?

If you don’t have any self raising flour, which is common in supermarkets here in the UK you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour and add 1 ½ tea spoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt.

What is baking spread/margarine spread?

Baking spread or margarine, (Stork is a well known brand here in the UK), is just a non-dairy margarine that’s perfect for baking. It can make cakes and cupcakes lighter and fluffier than if you use butter, which means it’s a great, often cheaper alternative.

What size is a 2lb loaf tin?

I find that dimensions of a 2lb or 900g loaf tin will vary slightly, but are generally about 24cm x 14cm x 6.5cm (9.5 x 5.5 2.5 inches). If you want to check the size of your tin, but don’t have a ruler you can fill it with water then pour the water into a measuring jug. A 2lb tin should hold at least 1.2 litres.

If you only have smaller loaf tins, for this recipe, you’re best to fill each tin with half the mixture and adjust the baking time down.

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Can I make this in a round cake tin rather than a loaf tin?

Yes, if you want to make a 8 inch (20cm) round cake, double the recipe and shorten the baking time to approximately 25-30 minutes.

Similar recipes

If you liked this apple and blackberry loaf cake you might also want to try one of these delicious classic bakes:

Ginger loaf cake
Treacle sponge
Lemon and blueberry loaf
Fruit loaf
Caramel and apple loaf
Lemon drizzle cake
Madeira cake
Orange drizzle cake
Carrot loaf cake

Or if you have more apples or blackberries needing used up, why not try one of these recipes:

Apple and blackberry crumble
Apple loaf cake
Apple cinnamon muffins
Blackberry scones
Apple traybake
Apple crumble
Blueberry and apple muffins
Apple cake
Apple cupcakes
Caramel apple cinnamon rolls
Apple flapjacks
Blackberry muffins

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this apple and blackberry loaf cake

Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
2 lb loaf tin
Wire rack

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Ingredients

175g (¾ cup) butter or baking spread
175g (3/4 cup) golden caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225g (1 2/3 cups) self raising flour *
1-2 apples
100g blackberries

If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain/all-purpose flour and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.

How to make an apple and blackberry cake

Preheat your oven to 170C / 160C Fan / 340F and grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with baking or parchment paper.

We find the easiest way to line a loaf tin (unless you have purpose made liners) is to to cut a strip of baking paper and place that in the tin in one direction. Then we’ll add another one in the other direction. If you leave some baking paper overhanging the edge it makes it easier to remove the loaf once its baked.

Cream the butter and sugar together

Get your kids to measure out the butter, (or baking spread if you’re using it), and the sugar and add them to the bowl of a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl. The butter needs to be soft so that it can mix in so if yours isn’t cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Do it just long enough for it to soften, you don’t want it to melt.

If, like us, you’re using baking spread you can add it straight into the mixing bowl.

Using the k-paddle of your mixer, a hand held mixer or even wooden spoons, beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until they become light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla

Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl. We generally never add eggs straight into the mixing bowl just in case any shell goes in. If (or when) it does fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon as it will sticks to that better than it will your fingers.

Add the eggs to your mixing bowl, one at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.

Get your kids to add the vanilla extract. You might need to hold the teaspoon level while they pour in the vanilla or vice versa.

Mix the eggs and vanilla in. Your mixture will be quite sloppy at this point.

Add the flour

Measure out the flour and add it to your mixing bowl. Gently mix it in until it is well combined and the batter is nice and smooth.

Add the apples and blackberries

If your kids are old enough get your kids to grate the apples with the large side of your grater. There’s no need to peel or core them first.

Then get your kids to measure out the blackberries into a small bowl, then add a tablespoon of flour. Mix it in so the blackberries are coated in the flour.

Add the blackberries and apple to your mixing bowl.

Gently stir them in with a spatula or spoon until they are well dispersed through the batter.

Bake the apple and blackberry cake

Pour or spoon the batter into your prepared loaf tin and spread it into each corner with a spatula, the back of a spoon or a small palette knife.

If you have any extra blackberries, add a few on top.

Bake the loaf cake for 60-70 minutes. It’s ready when it has turned a lovely golden brown colour. You can double check the centre is cooked by inserting a skewer or sharp knife into the middle. If it’s baked it should come out clean.

If the top of the loaf is browning too much before it is ready, loosely cover it in foil for the final 10 minutes or so while it finishes baking.

Remove the apple and blackberry loaf from the oven, leave it to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then turn it out and pop it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve and enjoy.